A Second Chance
by Dream Keeper
Summary: A mysterious girl shows up on Duo and Hilde's doorstep one rainy night looking for work. Neither know where she comes from or anything about her. She has no last name and she won't talk about her past. She doesn't seem dangerous to them but you can't judg


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Dream Maker: Standard yadda folks. I do not own Gundam Wing. *Sniffs* Sad but true. It belongs to its respectable owners. Anything else that looks like it came out of a movie or something, I also do not own. That too belongs to its respectable owners. I am only using the G-boys and girls in this twisted fic of mine and I promise to give them back, only a little worse for the wear when I am through with them. So please. Nobody sue peeps! *Turns pockets inside out* I'm a poor broke folk! I have no money!!!  
  
Christa: You got that right. She has no time either. I haven't gotten to muse properly for a least two weeks. It gets annoying after a while.  
  
Dream Maker: My muse, Christa. *Taps Christa on the head*  
  
Christa: *her little mouse ears flatten against her head* Stop that or I'll go on vacation. I need sun and now is as good a time to go to Hawaii as any. Muses fly free, remember?  
  
Dream Maker: *gulps* *quickly jerks her hand away from Christa* Okay, anyway, please keep the disclaimer in mind and enjoy the fic!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was a bitter cold, foggy night when a young woman stepped out of the shadows on L-2. She had long nearly black hair that was tied back into a ponytail. An unusual style for the young woman. She wore jeans and a plain white T-shirt under a long trench coat, which had its caller turned up against the cold and the rain. The baseball cap she wore did little to keep the rain off her head.  
  
"How did I ever get myself into this?" she muttered to herself as she snuggled deeper into her coat. "At least I'll hopefully get warm in a few minutes."  
  
She walked along the road for several more minutes before she reached a house that looked like all the others except for the porch swing. She went up and knocked on the door.  
  
"Hello?" the woman of the house asked as she opened it.  
  
"I heard you were looking for some to help you with your business?"  
  
"Yes, come in before you catch an cold." The woman ushered the girl inside and hung her coat and hat up to dry. "My name is Hilde Maxwell. I've been looking for someone to help around here temporarily until Duo gets back."  
  
"How long will he be gone?" Fear raised the hairs on the back of her neck. Am I already too late? Please don't let me be too late.  
  
"He's not going to be gone long. No more than a week or so but it will still be a big help if someone could take his place. I'd pay—"  
  
But the girl cut her off saying, "You don't have to pay me. If you could, I'd just like a place to stay. Even over at the scrap yard would be fine for me. I'm just a drifter but I look for work when I can."  
  
"Well, I suppose you could stay in the extra bedroom upstairs." Hilde said hesitantly.  
  
"Thank you. I'm sure I'll do my part."  
  
"Do you have a name?"  
  
"My name? Its Kendra."  
  
"Is there a last name to go with that?"  
  
"No last name. I wouldn't bother with one even if I had it." Which is true since I can't tell it to her anyway, she thought.  
  
"None? That's odd. Oh, sorry, I wasn't meaning to be rude."  
  
"That's fine Hilde."  
  
"Do you have any records?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"To prove you're not running from anything. I won't take criminals into my house."  
  
"You took Duo." Kendra muttered but Hilde had heard her.  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
"I heard about if from a friend of mine. Only rumor but rumors are usually true on the street."  
  
"I'll show you where you're sleeping." Hilde said as she motioned for Kendra to follow.  
  
Once Hilde's footsteps retreated back down the stairs Kendra pulled out a handheld computer and quickly made some files that she knew Hilde would look for. She made sure to give herself no last name as she had told Hilde.  
  
She doesn't trust me already. How in the world am I suppose to be able to stay here if she doesn't trust me? I guess I'll just have to pour on some of my charm. I don't think it will be that hard to convince her that I'm no criminal. Or, at least I'm not one yet.  
  
Kendra grimaced as she thought of the task that lay ahead of her. She knew she had to go through with it or risk the consequences. She drifted off to sleep thinking of these things.  
  
~*~  
  
In the morning Hilde woke to the smell of bacon and pancakes cooking and eggs sizzling on the stove.  
  
"Duo's home early!" exclaimed Hilde quietly as she quickly got out of bed and pulled a robe on.  
  
"Morning Hilde." The person in the kitchen greeted her. But the voice wasn't Duo's. The voice was much more feminine.  
  
"Morning Kendra."  
  
"Hey babe! I'm home early!"  
  
"Duo!" Hilde cried as she ran to her husband.  
  
"I brought you something. I know its not much but hey. I thought you might like it." He said as he pulled a small package out of the pocket of his coat. Hilde tore at the wrapping paper carefully and put it aside to save. She opened it and into her hand slid a beautiful bracelet that sparkled and shimmered. A sapphire was in the middle of the string and the rest of the jewels were diamonds.  
  
"Duo! You couldn't possibly afford to get me diamonds!"  
  
"True, but I saw it in a pawn shop and thought of you."  
  
"Thank you Duo."  
  
"Excuse me but breakfast is ready." Kendra said quietly from the kitchen. She set three plates on the table.  
  
"Who's she?" Duo inquired, though he was more interested in the pancakes and bacon.  
  
"Her name is Kendra. She's going to be helping at the scrap yard."  
  
"Doing what?"  
  
"Whatever you tell her to." Hilde said, giving Kendra a pointed look. Smiling, Kendra nodded.  
  
"Well then, lets get breakfast and get to work. Are you helping there today Babe, or do you have other things planned?"  
  
"Actually, Relena and I were going to get together today."  
  
"Okay." Hilde pulled Duo into the bedroom for a minute and told him, "Don't let her out of your site. I don't trust her."  
  
"Hilde, she's harmless. Have you looked at her?"  
  
"Yes I have Duo Maxwell, and I also heard her say something you didn't last night."  
  
"Which would be?"  
  
"When I told her about no thieves being aloud in my house she muttered about me letting you in. She knows more than she's letting on Duo. I just know she does."  
  
"Okay, I'll keep an eye on her and I'll see what I can find out."  
  
During the next few days that followed Duo kept and extra special eye on Kendra. She was nice enough to talk to and she was a big help, doing things almost before he told her to.  
  
But he couldn't help but to start sharing Hilde's fears about her. They'd be having a nice talk and then she'd start to say something, but she'd stop as if she knew it'd just get her into trouble. And she always glanced up to see if Duo noticed or not. He pretended not to.  
  
~*~  
  
1 Two months later  
  
Duo was pretending to work at the scrap yard that day. Heero had detected a new threat and he'd been elected to stop it. It was a simple get in, plant a bomb, and get out job. The only thing making it hard was that the girl Kendra was coming around at the most inopportune moments. She'd keep popping up right when he thought he was safe to sneak away.  
  
"Kendra, why don't you go make lunch."  
  
"It's already in the office. Why don't you go get it if you're so hungry."  
  
"Fine then," He pretended to tease, "I will." Finally, a way for him to sneak away. She'd just think that he'd gone into town for something.  
  
He went quickly into the office and got his pack from behind the chair. His back was towards the door so he didn't see when Kendra came in but the minute her shadow fell on the wall he spun around.  
  
"Don't move Duo or I swear I'll shoot you."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"You heard me. Sit down. I know what you're going to do and it won't work."  
  
"What are you talking about Kendra?" He tried to lye himself out of getting shot. Oh, when I get my hands on her she's going to wish she were never born, he thought.  
  
"You're not going to that factory Duo. You're not going to go blow it up."  
  
"And just why not?"  
  
"Because their a bunch of innocents. Heero bit a lead that was left for him. He told you about it. That's just what it is. Bait. Nothing else."  
  
"And how do you know this?"  
  
"That's irrelevant. I can tell you though, that the person who's behind this is already dead."  
  
"And how do you know?"  
  
"I killed her myself, last night, when you and Hilde were at Relena's party."  
  
"You admit to that?!"  
  
"I had no choice. Duo, if you go to that factory, you'll be killed. It was a trap. The minute the people see you go in, they'll lock the doors and the blast will kill you all. Please don't go."  
  
"I have a choice?"  
  
"Yes, but before you make it consider this. Hilde is going to have a baby exactly eight months and two weeks from today. She doesn't know it yet but she will by tomorrow."  
  
"She what?! How the hell do you know this?!"  
  
"Because Duo. Tell me, with your word that you will not go and I'll tell you who I am. Who I really am."  
  
"Okay fine. I won't go."  
  
"You're lying. I can tell Duo. I've heard it enough."  
  
"Okay, I promise I won't go." Duo was shaken by now by what he had heard. Just who was this girl? Where had she come from?  
  
"Duo, You will have a daughter eight months now."  
  
"Don't you mean eight months and two weeks?" He asked sarcastically. He didn't believe her, did he?  
  
"Yes, but eight months is easier to say. Like I said, you'll have a girl—"  
  
"That doesn't tell me how you know all this."  
  
"Because Duo. I'll be that little girl. That little girl without a father. The one who's mother is killed in a car crash when she's fifteen. The one who gets to take care of her two little brothers and sister. Please Duo—" she choked. "Please daddy, don't go." Tears coursed down her cheeks and she tossed the gun at his feet.  
  
Duo was totally amazed. He knew that a gift had been granted to him. So he asked, "How did you get here?"  
  
"I was given a chance to change the past. To have a father. You're given a second chance at life. What do you choose daddy?"  
  
"I won't go."  
  
"Thank you." Kendra said. "And tell mom I love her. And please do leave that file I made intact. It has a message I encoded for myself to read. I'll know how to get to it."  
  
"Alright. What will happen to you now?"  
  
"I'll go back to where I came from and have no memory of this but what I've read. I love you daddy."  
  
"I'll see you again Kendra."  
  
"I know. Goodbye is not forever. Just for a little while. So goodbye." Kendra whispered as she slowly faded away. Once she was gone Duo went into the house and hugged Hilde to him as if he let go she'd disappear. When Hilde question his actions he told her everything and both he and Hilde thanked whatever force had intervened in their lives.  
  
Eight months and two weeks later Kendra was born, just as she promised she would be. They did name her Kendra (again) with the name Faith Hope Maxwell to go along with it. Then they both thanked their lucky stars in the heavens above.  
  
~*~  
  
1.1.1 A few years later  
  
"Hey! This board is loose!" Kendra said to herself as she got down on her hands and knees and pried at the board at the back of her closet. When it came loose she tumbled backward, nearly striking her head on her bed. "Sheesh, I didn't think it'd be that hard. Huh? What's that?" Kendra crept back over to the new hole in her floor and looked inside. A small piece of paper was sticking out and she reached down inside with a wary hand and pulled out a leather bound book.  
  
"Kendra, your friends will be here any minute! Get that dress on and come down here!"  
  
"Yes mom!" Kendra called down the stairs. Her birthday party was today and her mom was really excited about something. Kendra opened the book to the first page. This is what it said.  
  
1.1.1.1 Dear Diary… Today is my ninth birthday and my first time writing to you. Daddy and mommy gave you to me today and so now you are going to be my new friend. I'm suppose to write in you when I'm sad or really happy and stuff. Well, I'll start off by telling you that today was really great. I got you, a new bike, a doll, and some other things. Then my friends and me had cake and ice cream and played games. It was really fun. Uh-oh…. Lights out time. Goodnight diary.  
  
1.1.1.2 "Kendra! I'm not going to tell you again!"  
  
"Coming mom!" Kendra said as she closed the diary without looking at the signature. She went downstairs and received her friends one by one. When they had all come they played games had cake and ice cream and the opened presents. When her parent's last gift was finally given to her she unwrapped it quickly. In her hands lay a leather-bound book just like the one she'd found upstairs. Kendra just beamed at her parents and kept the trouble out of her eyes.  
  
Later that night she told them about it and they both looked shocked and surprised. They told her that it was late and since the next day was Saturday they would talk to her about it in the morning.  
  
Kendra went upstairs and after she got into her P.J.'s she lay awake thinking about the book until finally she got up and retrieved the book, clicked on her beside lamp, and flipped to the last page in the book.  
  
This is my last time writing to you friend. After this I'm out of room, out of paper, and out of time. I get to go home tomorrow. Hopefully it won't be like I remember it. I don't want to be the only one taking care of my siblings. But after tomorrow everything should change. I should have my life back.  
  
"Wow, she sounds like she's had a rough time." Kendra said to herself as she continued to read.  
  
I'll make sure he doesn't go and get trapped in the building and get killed. I'll make sure that mom doesn't die. I'll make sure that nothing happens. Dad has to believe me. He may be stubborn but he will believe me. He has to. That's my only chance. I know that Relena, Heero, and everyone would want them back too. They'd say, yeah, its good to see you again Duo and Hilde if they knew what happened. But I suppose that they'll have no memory of what happened at all. I won't exist as I know it. I'm leaving you here as a reminder for myself to keep my chin up and live life to its fullest because you never know when you'll live your last tomorrow. I want my future self, or is it my past self? Anyway, I want me to appreciate what I have and not to take it for granted. I took mom for granted once and then she was gone. But not now, or then I suppose. Well, goodnight for the last time diary.  
  
Kendra.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~  
  
Dream Maker: Okay folks, it's not the best I've ever written but what do you think? Think its any good?  
  
1.2 Christa: For an hour and a half it is, I hope. *Rubs her paws together*  
  
Dream Maker: Okay peeps. Gtg for now.  
  
Christa: Bye! 


End file.
